The ADHD doesn’t have people screaming bloody murder for them to be eliminated from society.
1 Like
Because society hasn’t been asked to do anything on our behalf yet.
An ADHD moment:
Earlier today, I was told by the HOA that power to our community will be shut down at 1pm for maintenance.
At 12:58pm, I put my lunch into the microwave for the 2 minutes required to heat it up, hoping that CenterPoint doesn’t flip the switch early.
2 Likes
Here’s a fun fact:
Why Does ADHD Impact Life Span So Dramatically?
Regression analyses determined that impaired behavioral inhibition was primary factor that significantly reduced life expectancy in people with childhood ADHD. This includes the following behaviors:
- Low conscientiousness
- Poor self-regulation
- High impulsivity
Hold my beer…
Let me know with DPS start’s creating a drivers with ADHD database.
2 Likes
There are a ton of factors that go into why kids succeed or struggle in school, virtual or otherwise. To make it all about one factor is pretty reductive.
I didn’t. I applauded AFIBD and suggested that parental involvement and support is a key factor in a child’s success with virtual learning and that such success is difficult to achieve without it. Frankly, I’m surprised at how strongly you guys feel otherwise. Nonetheless, I stand by my take.
Oh I get it. I am not saying that the trans community isn’t suffering some horrific bigotry at the moment, and my point was never to downplay the seriousness of what is happening.
My point was that this is happening to the trans community in part because society as a whole has accepted that accommodations need to be made, and the usual suspects are pitching a shit-fit about it.
ADHDers will (hopefully) not face the kind of extreme backlash that trans folk and others before them have, but we won’t know until we get there, which is the observation I was making. We aren’t yet to the point where society has accepted that accommodations need to be made, so we aren’t yet stressing out the pea brains.
A statement like “Your kid succeeded because his parents aren’t muppets” has some connotations that you may not intend but can nonetheless be easily inferred:
- If a parent wasn’t as involved, that makes them an idiot
- If a kid struggled despite parent involvement, that makes the parent an idiot
If you want to give AFiBD an attaboy for helping his kid during virtual school, you could simply do that.
You projected WAY too much. It’s like saying “he improved his batting average because he started being patient and swinging at good pitches”. If you infer that’s the one and only factor in being a successful Major League hitter, you’re really overthinking it.
You can stand by your statement and I’ll stand by my opinion of it.
Ironically, some ADHD experts have posited that ADHDers should be allowed to drive only while medicated (in the same way that people who need glasses are required to wear them driving).
It is typical for ADHDers to skip their meds on non-work/school days, and also simply to forget to take their meds sometimes because ADHD. In an unmedicated state, the argument goes, ADHDers are a greater risk on the road.
I don’t know, man. My ADHD kids enjoy an entire support system, including diagnosis, medication, counseling, life coaches, educational accommodations, etc… that is generally accepted by all of society. The recognition and assistance of neurodivergence has taken leaps and bounds over the last two decades. I recongize the commercial world hasn’t embraced accommodations for folks with ADHD as the educational world has, but there has been and continues to be significant progress.
All that doesn’t diminish the difficulty of fitting round brains in a square world, but it is a far cry from the rejection, dejection and direct antagonism faced by our trans population.
ETA: I really appreciate this thread and your posts. It has helped make me a much better parent of ADHD kids.
6 Likes
Exactly.
I admit that I am not familiar with how ADHD is handled at school these days. I got detention, extra homework, negative reports and, one time, the cane.
I’m glad things have progressed. Hopefully this understanding will carry forward into the workplace as these kids grow up.
1 Like
Here’s part of the problem that I see: “Because our focus cannot be managed by us, let alone external factors, we are to a certain extent unmanageable. Often, too, our circadian rhythm is off by a number of hours, so the rigors of an 8 to 5 workday can mean that an ADHDer is going to exist in a state of perpetual jet lag.” Why would a neurodivergent individual with these characteristics ever aspire to an 8-5 job? That misalignment of capability and requirement is the real source of the friction, not an unsympathetic neurotypical community. I’d counsel someone with those traits to become a flower farmer or freelance web designer or something. It’ll be better for them and better for the world around them. Insisting that a square brain should fit in a round brain world is no different than a mediocre HS baseball player insisting that they should play in the majors despite an obvious disconnect in their skill relative to the skill required for such a job. That’s not bad. It just is. The reason I say this is one of the primary outcome for untreated ADHD is depression. And, the underlying cause of that depression is based on unmet internal and external expectations (real or perceived) over long periods of time that fundamental rewrite the brain into a state of perpetual anxiety. This is an awful outcome. One of the most common therapeutic remedies is to find alignment between skills/capabilities and life choices. Basically, do something (work, relationships, leisure, etc…) that are suited to your brain type. Some of the most astounding human achievements are accomplished by neurodivergent people that find this balance of capability and work.
And then, this: “I guess the first step has to be for the world to accept that ADHD is real.” I see evidence of this everywhere. My kids had great awareness and accommodation all thru their primary and secondary education. My wife counsels for these issues everyday in her practice. I and others in my circles actively recruit and hire neurodivergent people, including Adult ADHD candidates all the time. I’ve seen a massive explosion of awareness and acceptance in many places over the last 20 years. What I do also see in the community sometimes is a lack of acceptance in the community that they have or should have limits. A “I should be able to do what I like” mentality that is dichotomous to their actual abilities. Just like that 0 tool player that is determined to play in MLB even though it will just lead to anxiety and depression as they repeatedly fall short of that unrealistic goal.
2 Likes
What you do not know/understand is the special education laws in the this country, which are not at all new.
Sorry folks. I’m guilty of projecting my own struggles and experiences onto the modern world at large. I’ll try to do better.
1 Like
No need to be sorry and no need to try to do better. That personal experience, reflected on the larger societal issue is what makes this thread the gold mine that it is. You continue to be you and the conversation contained here will continue to generate intellectual value for everyone.
1 Like
Yeah no need to apologize.
Support systems and awareness in schools are one thing, out in the community it can be a mixed bag.
1 Like